Although nobody believed that Kirsty Soames (Natalie Gumede) was capable of beating up Tyrone (Alan Halsall), the subsequent rows saw the couple cut all ties with Tommy.

However, Fountain told itv.com: "Tommy misses Tyrone massively. Ty is the closest thing Tommy has got to having a brother, and there is a lot of history between them due to Tyrone's closeness to Jack and Vera.

"With everything that has gone on recently in Tommy's life, he really does not have any friends so Tommy would be desperate to get Tyrone back in his life."

Next week's episodes see Tommy pay a visit to Tyrone to make his latest debt repayment, having come into more cash thanks to Tina McIntyre's surrogacy deal. However, the atmosphere remains frosty between the old friends.

Fountain added: "When he goes to repay the money, you get the sense that Tommy would love nothing more than to sit down with Tyrone and have a great chat to him and share all his troubles, but this does not happen.

"Tyrone is very cold towards him and just takes the money and shuts the door on Tommy. He is left on his own on the doorstep."